


79 CE

by 7thweasley



Series: Ineffable Husbands Through Time [1]
Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Ancient Rome, M/M, Pompeii
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 13:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19274452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7thweasley/pseuds/7thweasley
Summary: Aziraphale finds Crowley before a particularly eventful August week of 79 CE.





	79 CE

“Hello, Angel.”

Aziraphale sighed, having wanted to startle his counterpart. Instead, it seemed almost like Crowley was waiting for him.

He stepped out from the doorway. Crowley was predictably lounging, nibbling the meat off a dormouse.

“How you can eat those things is beyond me. How did you know I was here?”

“It’s not much different than what I ate in the Garden. Of course, those I ate whole. I can’t seem to stand the feeling of their tails in my throat…” Crowley shuddered dramatically. “I could smell you. As soon as you let your holy self into my _domus_. A little sooner than I expected to see you again. It’s only been, what, around 40 years?”

Aziraphale often forgot the snake-like qualities he retained. After all, in the grand scheme of things, it had only been about 4,000 years since that was his regular form.

“I had heard a rumor of a red-haired, yellow-eyed man with a particular fondness for the bathhouses. I knew it at once to be you.” Aziraphale was doing his best to glance at the demon in what he thought to be a discreet way. 

Crowley just scoffed, and waved his hand to invite Aziraphale to lounge with him. Another couch was sat across the low table, but the angel decided to share his. He helped himself to some of the grapes from the table and then continued with what he had obviously come to say.

“We have to leave the city. Within the next day or two.”

“Why? I only just got here. It’s so much better than Herculaneum! They had almost no bathhouses in comparison, or brothels for that matter,” Crowley whined, “good for conversation, they are.”

The angel gave a slight click of his tongue. Crowley had a reputation to maintain, but wasn’t very good at it. “Well, I’m afraid that in a couple days, both Herculaneum and Pompeii will be severely lacking in bathhouses, brothels, and living humans. My Side has big plans, it seems.”

It was Crowley’s turn to sigh in disappointment. “Another Sodom and Gamorrah, I take it?”

Aziraphale gave a noncommittal shrug, still eating his grapes and still doing his best not to return Crowley’s looks.

“Why did you think to warn me?” Crowley asked. “You could have easily left me to be discorporated. In fact, your Side probably would have lapped that up like a cat and milk.”

The angel was suddenly very interested in the bunch of grapes in his hand. A few moments passed. He answered, but far too quietly for even the demon to hear.

“Mind saying that louder? You’re doing that thing where you answer, but also don’t answer.”

Aziraphale let out a puff of frustration. “I said,” he relented, “I told you because… well, Earth would be rather boring without someone to oppose.” He sat up in an attempt to look dignified and nonchalant. “I mean, we are enemies after all. If I didn’t have an enemy down here, Up There would transfer me. And things are getting interesting here amongst the people.”

Crowley cracked a wide grin. “You told me because you like me!” He said as a statement, not a question.

“No, that’s not the case. As I said, I need an _enemy_ on Earth…”

“That’s not what I’m hearing –“

The bickered about it for another hour or so, before eventually calling it a draw and grabbing their few Earthly possessions (“I hope that wherever we go next, togas are still in fashion. They’re ever so breezy!”). One might even go as far as to call them agreeable companions, because even though they continued to argue the whole way, they set out together for Rome in a shared wagon that next morning.


End file.
